Frangible means for dispensing cartons



Jan. 20, 1953 R. J. HICKIN FRANGIBLE MEANS FOR DISPENSING CARTONS FiledMay 20, 1949 .Wmuw' v Patented Jan. 20, 1953 S earner OFFICE FRANGIBLEMEANS FOR DISPENSING CARTONS Robert J. Hickin, Rittman, ()hio, assignorto The Ohio Boxboard Company, Rittman, Ohio, a corporation of OhioApplication May 20, 1949, Serial No. 94,414 (01. 229-51) 1 Claim.

This invention relates to means for p p y determining and defining atear path in paperboard material, and it has special reference to theprovision of frangible dispensing opening forming means for paperboardmerchandise packaging cartons or containers.

Tear paths for such cartons as now customarily formed are defined byrows of appropriately spaced perforations in the paperboard materialwhich, due to the mode of their formation, may generally be consideredas substantially sealed at their extremities inwardly of the carton toeffectively prevent entrance through them of foreign matter to theinterior of the carton and contamination of the contents, whereas theirextremities outwardly of the carton present a well defined series ofcuts which will make possible the ripping, tearing or the likeseparation from the carton wall of a portion or strip thereof to providethe desired dispensing opening through which access may be had to thecarton contents.

It has been found in practice that tear paths thus formed do not alwaysfunction to permit removal or separation of the opening forming portionor strip from the carton wall with the facility which is desired, orwith such clean and even separation as is intended. At times the tearwill depart from the path and extend into the adjacent portions of thecarton wall, and sometimes into the portion or strip to be separated orremoved therefrom. In either case the formation of the dispensingopening is unsatisfactory, and at times unsightly bordering portions areproduced, or the portion or strip being separated or removed is tornapart or so fractured as to make impossible its removal or separationfrom the carton wall in a single tearing operation.

Such unsatisfactory functioning may be attributed to various causes,including the direction of extent or lay of the grain of the paperboardmaterial, the nature of its composition, particularly as to type andlength of fibres, its thickness, and the like, and various expedientshave heretofore been proposed for solving the problem thus presented,but without success.

The object of the present invention is to pro vide means for so definingand forming a tear path in paperboard material that the unsatisfactoryresults and failures in operation hereinbefore referred to willbeaobviated.

To this end the invention, broadly considered, comprises the formationin the paperboard mate rial, adjacent to and bordering and substantiallycoextensive with a path-defining series or row of perforations, of acut-score preferably impressed or out only partially through thethickness of the paperboard material from the under surface thereof,that is to say the surface concealed within a carton formed from thepaperboard material, this cut-score providing a means whereby, when thematerial is torn or ripped upon and following the tear path it will becaused to separate intermediate its thickness, and the portionsintermediate the perforations will be materially weakened and thus moreeasily fractured, resulting in a clean efficient and satisfactoryremoval or separation of the dispensing opening forming strip orportion, all as will be explained hereinafter more fully and finallyclaimed.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the invention, in the severalfigures of which like parts are similarly designated.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a well-known type of paperboard cartonhaving means in its top wall for providing a tear path to form adispensing opening in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan'view of a carton as shown in Fig. 1, with aportion of the bottom wall broken away to show the under or innersurface of the top wall of the carton with the said tear path.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the outer surface of thetop wall of the illustrating in greater detail the means for forming thetear pathand showing one end of the dispensing opening forming stripripped or torn upwardly from the wall, and

Figl 4 is a further enlarged view taken upon the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 andshowing a section of the paperboard material with the tear path formingperforations and cutscores therein.

Although, obviously, the tear path" forming means of the invention maybe adaptedto uses other than that of providing dispensing openingforming means in paperboard cartons, its description is facilitated byreference to such an adaptation, as illustrated in the drawing, whereinthe carton is made from a conventional fiat blank of paperboard materialcut and scored to be formed into a tubular body having a top wall I, abottom wall 2, sidewalls 3 and end walls 5,

carton,

the latter comprising glue tabs and flaps appropriately folded upon eachother and secured by suitable adhesive.

As indicated in Fig. 1, this type of carton has become familiar as amerchandizing and dispensing container for cleansing tissues, and itsconstruction is such that it is effectively sealed against entrance ofextraneous matter which might contaminate the contents.

The tear path for providing a removable strip 5 to form a dispensingopening in the top wall I of the carton is formed, in accordance withthe invention, by two rows or series of perforations E convergingterminally in tabs I under either one of which, though only one isindicated by the legend Open Here, the user may insert afinger nail, orthin implement, to raise the tab for grasping and lifting upward to tearor rip the strip 5 from the carton wall, and by cutscores 8 impressed orout only partially, preferably less than half-way, through the thicknessof the paperboard material from the under or inner face of the wall,bordering the rows of perforations 5 and spaced slightly therefrom(Figs. 2-4).

Although, as shown in the drawing, the tear path forming means are sodisposed in the carton wall as to form the borders of a removableportion of straight strip form, it will be understood that these meansmay be otherwise disposed and that the removable portion may bevariously shaped in accordance with the desires of the manufacturer orto accommodate the nature of the article to be dispensed. Hence, whenreference is made to a series or row of perforations and a complementalor bordering cut score, the same are not necessarily to be understood asof straight line form.

The nature of the perforations which, though fully piercing the wall,have their inner extremities somewhat converging and burred forms aneffective seal against entrance into the carton of matter injurious toits contents, and the cutscores 8, though intentionally weakening thetear path, still leave contiguous portions of the wall intact.

Various expedients may be resorted to for providing the cut-scores 8,but it has been found that they may be produced expeditiously andsatisfactorily while the carton blanks are being fed, in invertedcondition, through the gluing machine which assembles their parts totube form, thus obviating any separate handling for the cut-scoringoperation. Moreover, the cutscoring operation may be performed withgreat accuracy andfacility by the tool disclosed in applicants copendingapplication for patent for Scoring Tool Means, filed'May'20, 1949,Serial No. 94,416 now abandoned.

When, as hereinbefore" explained, the removable strip 5 is pulled upwardby grasping the end tab I it may be ripped from the wall I within thelongitudinal zones, and along the path defined by the two pairs of rowsof perforations 6 withv turable paths between the respective pairs ofperforations and cut-scores and intermediate-its thickness (Fig. 3) inplanesfiindicated approximately by the broken lines 9 in Fig, 4. Thus,breaking of the strip 5 intermediate its length 4 during removal, and/orfracture of wall portions contiguous to the tear path, both of whichfaults have been present in constructions heretofore employed, areavoided.

As previously mentioned, various means have been suggested for producingtear paths and knock-out, or lift-flap, dispensing openings in cartonsand container closures. Among these means are applied rip strips orcords, non-mating but adjacent cut scores impressed or cut from oppositefaces of the wall forming material, conventional rows of perforationsand slits, and combinations of these means. But in none of the means nowknown is the full equivalent of the present invention, with itsattendant advantages, exemplified. In other words, no disclosure isknown of a tear path formed in a single thickness or layer of paperboardmaterial by the cooperative combination of a row or series ofperforations which, of their nature extend entirely through thematerial, and a cut-score extending only partially therethrough.

From the standpoint of the manufacturer, the present invention haspractical advantages over anything of a similar nature now known, inthat periorations are much easier to produce with standard cuttingequipment than are cut-scores. As perforations, produced with standardequipment, extend through the material, they do not have to be held tosuch close tolerances.

Where cooperating cut-scores are provided at opposite faces of thematerial, facility in produce tion and appropriate strength in finishedproduct can be obtained only by using relatively thick paperboard stockor stock of a quality superior to that ordinarily employed for cartonmanufacture. In the practice of the present invention ordinary cartonstock of light caliper can be effectively used.

Furthermore, due to the portions of the carton wall between perforationsbeing left intact .despite the presence of the cooperating cut-scoring,in accordance with the invention, the container wall is maintained in amuch stronger condition, and is much better able to Withstand thehandling to which the carton may be subjected, than is the case wherecomplemental cut-scores are provided at opposite faces of the material.This is due in large measure to the fact that paperboard material willtear much more readily intermediate its thickness than through its fullthickness.

It will be noted, moreover, that where complementaI cut-scores areprovided from opposite faces of the material, eflicient functioning ofthe tear-out or knock-out portion can probably be attained only if eachof said cut-scores extends at least half-way throughthe thickness of thematerial. Under such conditions proper manufacture requires that veryclose tolerances be adhered to. This is not necessary in the practice ofthe present invention.

Various changes and modifications are considered to be within theprinciple of the invention and the scope of the following claim.

What I claim is:

.Frangible means for providing a dispensing opening in the wall of apaperboard carton, comprising two spaced. apart parallel rows of spacedperforations extending through the said wall and defining between them atear path, and a pair of cut-scores lying within said tear path andextending only partially through the thickness of said wall, the twocut-scores of said pair respectively longitudinally paralleling said tworows of perforations and laterally spaced therefrom, the portions of thecarton wall initially intact between the spaced perforations of theindividual rows thereof providing connections easily rupturableintermediate the wall thickness, and the 5 relative spacing of each ofsaid rows of perforations and its adjacent cut-score serving to confinebetween them in the carton wall similar longitudinal zones rupturableintermediate the thickness of said wall as determined by the depth ofsaid cut-scores, whereby the portion of the carton wall confined withinsaid tear path may be separated and removed from said wall by separationintermediate its thickness in said longitudinal zones.

ROBERT J. HICKIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,773,553 Taylor Aug. 19, 19301,779,350 Wright Oct. 21, 1930 1,935,905 Gresenz Nov. 21, 1933 2,155,791Holmes Apr. 25, 1939 2,401,417 Engle June 4, 1946

